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Enrollment numbers at private schools across Montgomery County are a mixed bag this school year, with some schools remaining steady, some slightly up or down, and one school closing due to the recession.

About 1,600 students who previously attended private schools will attend Montgomery County Public Schools this year, according to MCPS Spokeswoman Kate Harrison. The number is a tremendous jump from years past; in the 2005-2006 school year, 565 students made the transition, and as recently as last year 1,001 students moved into the public school system from private schools.

There are 142,000 students in MCPS.

"I think a lot of it is probably due to the economic situation," Harrison said. "Yes, the reputation of our public schools is great, but a jump like this is undoubtedly due to the economy."

Tuition and fees at county private schools can run from a few thousand dollars per school year up to more than $40,000. Despite the recession, private schools are trying their hardest to lure prospective families or retain current ones, whether by tuition cuts, staff cuts, or other means.

Landon School in Bethesda only raised its tuition 1.5 percent this year, despite an industry standard of up to 5 or 6 percent.

The Barnesville School in Barnesville cut preschool tuition and offered reduced prices to parents who referred other parents to the school.

At Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda officials trimmed two part-time positions so they wouldn't have to increase tuition even more.

The education students receive at private schools, still make them a good value, according to families and school officials.

"From a pure marketing point of view, we have a really good product that does wonderful things for young men," said Russ Gagarin, director of enrollment and financial aid at Landon School. "Did we do some belt-tightening? Sure we did. But we believe in our product."

Some K-8 private schools in the upcounty, like the Seneca Academy in Darnestown and the Barnesville School, are helping more families with tuition and introducing new incentives to keep students coming back.  

"We're actually seeing a flurry of activity this summer. It seems like more parents are waiting until the last minute," Head of School Brooke Carroll said recently. Though enrollment is slightly down, the school has done relatively well because it is less expensive than other private schools in the area and is offering more financial aid, particularly to families in need of assistance for the first time, she said.

"It's not as bad as I would have thought," Carroll said. "We've been able to accommodate almost everybody, and I think that's why it hasn't been so bad."

The Barnesville School has increased financial aid, cut preschool tuition and begun offering reduced prices for parents who enroll early and refer other families to the school, Communications Director Nicole Campbell said.

At Georgetown Prep, enrollment has risen slightly from 468 boys to 476 boys. While the numbers remain high, Director of Admissions Brian Gilbert said the school has had an increased desire for financial aid.

The school upped its total financial aid from $1.9 million to $2 million, in part to help cover that increase.

"We've certainly had new families asking for aid, and that's of course due to the economy," he said. "We also accepted more students this year, thinking some students might not be back."

Sometimes financial hardships can be overridden, said Judy Mehlman, a spokeswoman for the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in Aspen Hill. Numbers at the school have remained steady; for the 2008-2009 school year 607 students attended and 605 students have signed up for this school year.

"That is likely because of our commitment to giving a significant amount of financial aid to families that really need it and our families' own commitment to Jewish education," Mehlman said.

The picture isn't rosy for all county schools, however. After 36 years in the area, Thornton Friends School in Silver Spring has closed, citing financial difficulties and low enrollment with keeping the small Quaker school afloat during turbulent economic times.

Head of School Norman Maynard said dwindling enrollment in the private school, which cost upwards of $20,000 a year in tuition, was one of the main reasons the school closed. Some of the students who left Thornton have moved to public schools, he said.

In the spring, contracts from returning and new students led board members of the school to believe it could stay open for 2009. However, over the summer many contracts were rescinded and the anticipated number of new students didn't apply, according to a June 29 letter written by Maynard.

Maynard told The Gazette in June that the school depended on tuition for 96 percent of its revenue and had no endowment.

"It was very hard on the board members, staff and students," Maynard said.

Staff Writers Meghan Tierney, Melissa J. Brachfeld, Amber Parcher and Robert Dongu contributed to this report.